The present invention is directed to the filtration of blood. In medical, hospital and surgical treatments today there are a number of instances when blood is filtered; e.g. during blood transfusions, dialysis treatments, and in the extracorporeal blood circuits used during some surgical procedures.
The filters used in the filtration of blood must meet stringent requirements. The blood filter must be sterile and hence should be readily sterilizable. The filter must be efficient and remove the unwanted materials from the blood without removing the desired materials or having any detrimental effect on the desirable materials in the blood. The filter must be constructed to prevent gas bubbles in the blood flowing to the patient. The filter must not contain any foreign material that might be released into the blood being filtered.
In view of the problems involved in cleaning and sterilizing reusable filters, disposable filters have gained considerable acceptance in the filtration of blood. The disposable blood filters generally comprise a number of parts, such as the housing, the core for holding the media, and the filter media or cartridge itself. These parts must be assembled and sealed or secured together to form a filter unit and the unit cleaned, flushed, and sterilized prior to being placed into use. After a single use, the filter is discarded. This means the filter cannot be expensive yet must meet critical specifications.